The Resurrection and Marriage

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless.The secondand then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children.Finally, the woman died too.Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage.But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[a]He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!”And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:“Sit at my right handuntil I make your enemiesa footstool for your feet.”’[b]

David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Footnotes

The Widow’s Offering

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.“Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”